The Air Force’s long-predicted pilot shortage is here. And it’s getting worse. If a fix isn’t found, the service might not have enough pilots to fill all of it cockpits by 2018. In May, Air Force Magazine sat down with members of the Air Staff who are tasked with reducing the shortfall, which one called a “crisis.” They detailed the myriad of measures the service is taking to stave off an exodus. But even if the service reverses the trend, the planners said, the shortage won’t be erased for years. Read our full story, which will appear in the August issue of the magazine.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
